2 Killed, 2 Injured in Fiery Helicopter Crash

On Tuesday around 4:15 p.m., Clinton County Dispatch received a report of a helicopter crash in a field near Burke Road in the town of Beekmantown.

First responders soon found a burning helicopter that was still partially suspended from above power lines.

Witnesses said all four men jumped out of the helicopter after it hit the power lines near a utility pole and landed in a farm field, according to the Courier-Post. First responders later pulled the men away as the plane burned above their heads.

All four were taken to the University of Vermont Health Network at Champlain Valley Physician's Hospital.

Robert T. Hoban Jr., 56, one of the helicopter's pilots, and a passenger, 30-year-old Jeremy P Kearns of Massena were pronounced dead at the hospital, police say.

Scott E. Fabia, 34, of Hyde Park and 30-year-old Benjamin L. McAllister from Hopkinton, two other occupants of the helicopter, were injured. Their injuries weren't released, but police say they were kept at the hospital for further observation.

An investigation revealed the helicopter, a 1981 Aerospatiale, model AS355F2, owned by Catalyst Aviation LLC, was contracted by Northline Utilities for the New York Power Authority, to work on the power lines, police say. The cause of the crash is unknown.

Autopsies have been scheduled for Hoban and Kearns.

The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are also assisting in the investigation. This investigation is ongoing.